October 18th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Williston, ND, has no major hotel brands. There was a Holiday Inn at the airport once, but it has since been sold off. El Rancho Motor Hotel is the one that Halliburton prefers.
My drive-up room was pretty large, with room to spread out. The king-size bed and the pillows were pretty comfortable. The refrigerator was good at one-third height, but the microwave was quite small. Lighting a large room needs more than two bedside lights and an overhead table light. The light bulbs they chose were a sick yellow that attracted bugs.
The TV had about 20 channels, including HBO, Cartoon Network, and Disney. Wireless and wire internet access worked fine. Only two outlets were available near the table. The room stayed warm despite temperatures dipping into the 30s outside; I only ran the heater once.
The sink outside the bathroom had good counter space. Inside the bathroom was a little cramped. The sink and shower controls worked well, but the shower head was low.
Laundry service was not promised to be same-day service, but it was both times I used it. Directions were followed (I dislike starched, pressed jeans), and clothes weren’t staple-tagged. The fitness room was cramped but sufficient for one person. It had an elliptical, a fan bike, and a machine similar to a rowing machine, only the rider pushes himself up with leverage. There was a TV but no remote.
The hotel has a bar, a cafe, and a restaurant. The bar also has a sports book, where one could bet on dog racing in Jacksonville, FL. The cafe made huge omelettes that were quite good. The tenderloin filet was cooked to order, but the waitress asked if I needed steak sauce. I responded, “I hope I don’t need it!” It was good.
The hotel did have two problems. During the 17 days I stayed at this hotel, I killed over 25 box elder bugs that kept coming in from outside. I needed to leave the bathroom light on during the night so they would congregate in there. The second problem was housekeeping. The bed was made, the towels changed, and the trash removed no more frequently than every other day. If they didn’t come Friday, the room wasn’t cleaned until Monday.
Access to the hotel is fairly simple, straight south from the airport on 2nd Ave W. Two diagonal parking slots almost require the driver to back out into the street in order to turn around. The staff was nice and professional but the lady working the night shift had a cruel sense of humor. 
HAL has a corporate rate of $55/night, but availability dries up pretty quickly due to the oil boom. It’s a decent value, but I would bring a larger trash can from Wal-Mart. Of course, since it’s a local hotel, you won’t get any points.
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